Canton needed double OT to advance past Tolland in state tournament

Lucy O’Connor pulled down 17 rebounds in Saturday night”s double OT win over Tolland. (Photo courtesy Paul Amrose)

The Canton High girls basketball team doesn’t get to overtime too often and rarely plays multiple overtime sessions.

But the Warriors had to go to double overtime to advance out of their first round CIAC Division IV contest with Tolland on Saturday, 46-44 in Canton.

In the last 10 years, Canton has played in just five overtime games, although one OT session came in last March’s CIAC Class S quarterfinal with a nine-point loss to East Granby.

No. 8 Canton (15-7) held a 27-20 lead midway through the third quarter before Tolland went on an 8-0 run, capped by Cecilla Marten’s three-point shot to take a 28-27 lead. Canton’s Emery Howard converted two free throws with 39.5 seconds left in the quarter to briefly give Canton the lead again at 29-28.

But Tolland’s Mia Artiaco hit a late basket to give the visiting Eagles, ranked No. 22 in Division IV, a 30-29 lead after three quarters.

The lead changed several times in the fourth quarter as the two teams combined to score just 11 points. Canton’s Lucy O’Connor scored off an assist from Helen Canny to give Cantona 35-33 lead with 4:04 remaining. The Eagles tied the game on a Marten layup with 3:15 remaining.

And that was it for scoring in regulation. O’Connor hit two free throws in OT but Tolland’s Morgan Jolly tied the score, 37-37, with 2:20 remaining. Tolland had a chance to win it with a pair of free throws with 4.5 seconds left but the Eagles missed them both.

Canton took early control in the second OT with a layup from O’Connor, off an assist from Ruby Theberge. Following a great hustle play from Maya Affsa, who scooped up a loose ball and fed Theberge for a layup, Canton had a 41-37 lead.

No. 25 Tolland (7-13) cut the lead to one, 41-40, thanks to three free throws. But Theberge went 4-for-4 from the foul line in the final minute to secure the win. O’Connor sank a free throw to extend the lead to four, 46-42 before Tolland’s Mia Santini hit two of three free throws with 0.9 seconds left to cut the lead to two, 46-44.

Theberge led the way with a team-high 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven steals while O’Connor had 13 points and ripped down 17 rebounds. Riley Ahlgren pulled down six rebounds and had four assists.

Tolland was led by Santini with 16 points and two three-point shots. The Eagles converted on seven 3-point shots in the game.

Canton hosts No. 25 Immaculate-Danbury in a second round contest on Tuesday. Immaculate upset No. 9 Nonnewaug 53-51 on Saturday. The winner of Tuesday’s game advances to Friday night’s quarterfinal against No. 1 Morgan or No. 17 Naugatuck.

The longest OT game in the past 35 years for the Canton girls came in 2017 when the Warriors dropped a 67-64 triple OT loss to Avon on Dec. 29.

Canton 46, Tolland 44, 2 OT
At Canton
Tolland (44) Mia Santini 5-4-16, Cecilla Martens 4-1-12, Morgan Jolly 2-2-7, Mia Artiaco 3-0-6, Avery Marcroft 1-0-3. Totals 15 9-16 44
Canton (46) Ruby Theberge 6-10-22, Lucy O’Connor 5-3-13, Helen Canny 1-2-4, Riley Ahlgren 1-1-3, Emery Howard 0-2-2, Macy McCullough 0-2-2, Maya Affsa 0-0-0. Totals 15-20-28 46
Tolland (7-13)           13    7  10  5  2  7  — 44
Canton (15-7)            14  10    5  6  2  9  — 46
Three-point goals: Santini (T) 2, C. Martens (T) 3, Jolly (T), Marcroft (T)